Despite the self-promoting claim that they “provide a home for conservative, libertarian, classical liberal, and moderate voices in an effort to promote constructive and civil debate,” an article by NewBostonPost “Politics” contributor Evan Lips proves to be both destructive and flat-out antagonistic. It’s all the more insulting because it’s a textbook example of lazy “journalism,” and it’s evident Lips made little attempt to research his subject matter or even fact-check to determine truth and achieve balance. That’s despite his identifying contradictions in the claims he relied on, and the negligence he then showed by not exploring what else might prove unreliable.

“‘Hate groups’ to make appearances at RNC in Cleveland,” Lips’ July 14 headline declared. That’s accompanied by a photo of Oath Keepers, which is then featured along with the New Black Panther Party and the Westboro Baptist Church. Lips’ source: The Southern Poverty Law Center.

In fact, Oath Keepers never made plans to have a presence at the RNC. Founder Stewart Rhodes explained why the group would not be attending and why reports stating otherwise were false. And SPLC is hardly the undisputed “defender of civil rights” Lips appears to take at face value.

As reported by Breitbart News, the FBI distanced itself from SPLC after the Family Research Council and “fourteen other conservative and Christian leaders [wrote a letter calling SPLC] a heavily politicized organization producing inaccurate and biased data on ‘hate groups’…”

Such SPLC bias against Oath Keepers has been well documented. None of that made its way into Lips’ assessment though, despite his own admission that “The SPLC … does not specifically identify the nature of the group’s hate but has claimed members seek to overthrow the government.”

Had Lips done even minimal fact-checking, he’d have quickly (like by spending two minutes on this website) discovered Oath Keepers Bylaws, which specifically mandate:

Section 8.02. Restrictions on Membership:

(a)No person who advocates, or has been or is a member, or associated with, any organization, formal or informal, that advocates the overthrow of the government of the United States or the violation of the Constitution thereof, shall be entitled to be a member or associate member.

(b)No person who advocates, or has been or is a member, or associated with, any organization, formal or informal, that advocates discrimination, violence, or hatred toward any person based upon their race, nationality, creed, or color, shall be entitled to be a member or associate member.

So much for an “anti-government” group that has as its reason for existence fidelity to the oath its members took to the Constitution. So much for Oath Keepers being “haters.”

That brings us to another thread Lips couldn’t help but notice, yet still managed to avoid pulling. He even admits:

The SPLC claims the Oath Keepers “served as a private security force to prevent white businesses from looting,” but a St. Louis Post Dispatch report notes that members worked to protect a black-owned bakery after it had been vandalized during the unrest.

SPLC may have meant to write “protect” instead of “prevent,” but was too wrapped up in the smear job to notice. Still, Lips should have questioned the disconnect. And again per Rhodes:

The Southern Poverty Law Center is now trying to rewrite history by saying that during the Ferguson riots, “Oath Keepers served as a private security force to protect white businesses from looting.” The truth is that we guarded businesses owned by blacks (Natalie’s Cakes and More), Asians (Korean owned beauty supply and Asian owned Chinese restaurant), as well as whites (a white owned dental office). Their color didn’t matter to us, as we protect all Americans, but since the left likes to focus so much on race, let’s make that clear. And we also protected lives, not just property, since we protected the families of all colors who lived in apartments above those businesses – men, women, and children – from the deadly threat of murder by arson. And we didn’t ask the race of the people who lived there before deciding to protect them, because it was irrelevant to us. But of course, the SPLC can’t tell the truth about us as that doesn’t fit their agenda.

[W]e will train any other American or group of Americans who are targeted by Islamist terrorists, be they churches, Synagogues, school staff, or LGBT groups or nightclubs. We stand for the right of all Americans to defend themselves, and we stand united against all terrorists who would murder them.

Having the SPLC smear and conflate Oath Keepers with the New Black Panther Party and the Westboro Baptist Church is SOP for its lucrative agenda and hardly unexpected. Having establishment media repeat the smear is also sadly something that’s frustratingly familiar. But a supposedly liberty-oriented media source parroting SPLC talking points without question shows, at minimum, ignorance and laziness. Both are inexcusable traits, assuming this was indeed just a case of journalistic malpractice and not agitprop.

Lips, writing for a venture that bills itself as “The hub of conservative thought,” would do well to research his subject matter in the future and not rely exclusively on “progressive” sources, that is if he expects to have credibility with his target readership. And NewBostonPost publisher Tina McCormick, editor Jennifer C. Braceras, and editor-at-large Mary McCleary would do well to drill that expectation into their writers before sloppiness and shoddy reporting torpedo their relatively new venture and scuttle their efforts and investment.

Because you know what they say about “Loose Lips.”

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David Codrea blogs at The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance (WarOnGuns.com), and is a field editor/columnist for GUNS Magazine. Named “Journalist of the Year” in 2011 by the Second Amendment Foundation for his groundbreaking work on the “Fast and Furious” ATF “gunwalking” scandal, he is a frequent event speaker and guest on national radio and television programs.

Mr. Codrea- It’s not case of lazy journalism, but the case of yellow journalism. The SPLC has a track record of yellow journalism. The very sad part is the FBI actually listens to this organization and takes everything it presents, as truth.

“As reported by Breitbart News, the FBI distanced itself from SPLC after the Family Research Council and “fourteen other conservative and Christian leaders [wrote a letter calling SPLC] a heavily politicized organization producing inaccurate and biased data on ‘hate groups’…”

While this sounds good, it is important to recognize that the SPLC has outflanked the FBI. The SPLC now stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the Strong Cities czar by appointment from the Obama administration. This corrupts the DOJ at the highest levels. The Strong Cities czar falls directly under the US Attorney general. From that position, influence and direction is disseminated to all law enforcement agencies from national (FBI, DEA, DHS, etc.) and down, through the fusion centers, to the state and local levels of LE.

I make it a point of reading as many articles as I can find in a day on the 2nd Amendment written by those who pass for journalists. I do so because I find that most of them are either wildly inaccurate, historically incorrect, and of course devoid of legal tenor. I want to know to what lengths the opponents of liberty will go.
While it does often make my blood boil, I use it as a base for keeping “frosty” so to speak. What is so frustrating is the comments I see from those who are supposed supporters of the 2nd. Most simply have no concept of the world around them and what has been taking place. They claim victories where there are minor skirmishes they survived, and ignore major battles where the good People are decimated; CT, NY, CA, IL, and now MA has made the sale of so-called assault weapons illegal.
I’m often reminded of “And how we burned in the camps later, thinking: What would things have been like…” Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

For a good time and a laugh AT the wealth-producing non-profit SPLC that has ensured the lawyers within have done FAR better financially than the typical American worker and done so via what some folks view as deceitful ways use Google and search using “splc is a hate group”

Other search terms will also reveal the extent to which our fellow citizens look askance at a group using political correctness to excite the emotions (while ignoring logic and rationality) of people and wealthy corporations, foundations, etc. to amass massive wealth used to slander patriots and their organizations, as seen with Oath Keepers.

I work at my blogs regularly and eagerly await the day the SPLC labels me as a “hater” for then I am assured I am following a path that sane, logical and rational folks would view with approval (or at least not as one who “hates”) and if the Founders were to look upon my efforts would surely give a nod of approval. That event would send the apparently greedy, agenda-obsessed boys and girls infesting the SPLC into fits of immense conniption.

Nothing but “Lips” service to the truth. Only their version of speech is protected by the 1st Amendment. Only their version of the “truth” can be heard. Just like our assorted government’s (federal, state, county, and local), agenda and expediency are all that counts.

NewBostonPost, Lips, SPLC, New Black Panther Party, Westboro Baptist Church, etc., etc., etc……nothing but a distasteful collection of disposable decaying garbage…..none of the above mentioned punks are worth the powder it would take to blow them to hell……we, Oath keepers, and the total remainder of Sovereign, Constitutional Americans are under absolute “full, no holds bared attack” from every conceivable angle and direction every day that the sun rises and it our duty and obligation to stay connected to insure that our adversary’s, foreign and DOMESTIC are addressed appropriately. We will accept nothing less !!

Can there be any doubt that the real hate group is the SPLC itself and many others who create and disseminate false paradigms and dialogue ? Here is how they do what they do and help mind eff the masses via PRAVDA/MSM , their main source of power along witt BHO and crew!

splc is a left wing hate group that does nothing to help blacks, or anyone else besides the hate America groups like the black panthers, occupy wall street, the national action network, and other pseudo civil rights groups that do nothing but spread hate and divisive racism!!!!!